Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Among typical image forming apparatuses that form images on sheets, image forming apparatuses that include an image carrier, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit are known. The exposing unit forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier, and the developing unit visualizes the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. The transfer unit then transfers the toner image on the image carrier onto a sheet. The sheet onto which the toner image is transferred is discharged after undergoing a fixing process by the fixing unit.
Registration roller pairs for conveying sheets toward a transfer nip area formed between the image carrier and the transfer unit have been disclosed. Also disclosed have been guide members, made of a synthetic resin polymer, for guiding sheets frontward and rearward of a registration roller pair. Furthermore, a technique whereby a sheet-guiding guide member is electrically grounded has been disclosed.